Golf tee with at least two support surfaces

ABSTRACT

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a golf tee. The golf tee may include a shaft having a top end and a bottom end. A cup may be located at the top end of the shaft, the cup may have a concave surface, and the cup may have a rim configured to contact a ball when the golf tee supports the ball. At least one protrusion may extend from the concave surface of the cup, where the protrusion has a surface configured to contact the ball when the golf tee supports the ball.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/401,963, filed Jan. 9, 2017, and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 9,937,398on Apr. 10, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

Conventional golf tees have stems designed to be pressed into the groundand ball-supporting heads that are designed to support an elevated golfball during a tee shot. Typically, the ball-supporting head of the golftee includes a concave surface that contacts the golf ball when the golfball is placed on the tee. During a tee shot, friction between theconcave surface and an outer surface of the golf ball may affect thespin of the golf ball, which may cause an uncontrollable or undesirableflightpath. It may therefore be advantageous to provide a golf tee witha head having enhanced surface properties to limit unintentional spin.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a golf tee having a shaftwith a top end and a bottom end. A cup may be located at the top end ofthe shaft, the cup having a concave surface, and the cup having a rimconfigured to contact a ball when the golf tee supports the ball. Atleast one protrusion may extend from the concave surface of the cup, theprotrusion having a surface configured to contact the ball when the golftee supports the ball.

A stem may be located at the bottom end of the shaft, where the stemincludes a material that is different than a material of the shaft. Thestem may have a central elongated shaft and at least one columnextending from the elongated shaft and configured to engage the ground.An end of the at least one column may include a concave notch.

The bottom end of the shaft may include a flat surface, the flat surfacebeing parallel to an axis defined by the shaft. A central portion of theshaft may have a circular cross-sectional shape with at least oneindentation extending around the circular cross-section.

At least a portion of the rim may be located a first distance from anaxis defined by the shaft, where the at least one protrusion is locateda second distance from the axis defined by the shaft, and where thefirst distance is greater than the second distance.

The concave surface may be configured such that a gap is located betweenthe concave surface and the golf ball when the golf tee supports thegolf ball.

In another aspect, a golf tee may include a shaft having a top end and abottom end. A first support surface may be configured to contact a ballwhen the golf tee supports the ball. A second support surface configuredto contact the ball when the golf tee supports the ball, where the firstsupport surface is located a first distance from an axis defined by theshaft, where the second support surface is located a second distancefrom the axis defined by the shaft, and where the first distance isgreater than the second distance.

The first support surface may be defined by a rim of a cup located atthe top end of the shaft, where the cup has a concave surface facingaway from the shaft. The second support surface may be defined by aprotrusion extending from the concave surface of the cup. A diameter ofthe rim may be at least 0.50 inches.

The golf tee may further include a stem located at the bottom end of theshaft, where the stem includes a material that is different than amaterial of the shaft. The stem may include a central elongated shaftand at least one column extending from the elongated shaft andconfigured to engage the ground. An end of the at least one columnincludes a concave notch.

The bottom end of the shaft may include a flat surface, the flat surfacebeing parallel to an axis defined by the shaft. A central portion of theshaft may have a circular cross-sectional shape.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method includingforming a shaft having a top end and a bottom end, forming a cup locatedat the top end of the shaft, the cup having a concave surface, and thecup having a rim configured to contact a ball 200 when the golf teesupports the ball, and forming at least one protrusion extending fromthe concave surface of the cup, the protrusion having a surfaceconfigured to contact the ball when the golf tee supports the ball.

The method may also include forming a stem and locating the stem at thebottom end of the shaft. Locating the stem at the bottom end of theshaft may include inserting the stem in a mold before or during aninjection molding process, wherein the injection molding process formsthe shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a top perspective view of a golf tee with a cup and aplurality of protrusions in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B shows a side elevation view of the golf tee of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C shows a top view of the golf tee of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D shows a bottom view of the golf tee of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1E shows a cross-section view illustration of the golf tee of FIG.1B along line 1E-1E when supporting a golf ball.

FIG. 2 shows four embodiments of a golf tee in accordance with thepresent disclosure, where each of the four embodiments has a differentshaft length.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a golf tee inaccordance with the present disclosure, where a supported golf ball doesnot contact a rim.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various aspects are described below with reference to the drawings, andseveral of the elements are identified by numerals. The relationship andfunctioning of the various elements may better be understood byreference to the following description. However, aspects are not limitedto those illustrated in the drawings or explicitly described below. Thedrawings are not necessarily to scale, and in certain instances, detailsmay have been omitted that are not necessary for an understanding ofaspects disclosed herein.

In this application, the use of the disjunctive is intended to includethe conjunctive. The use of definite or indefinite articles is notintended to indicate cardinality. In particular, a reference to “the”object or “a or an” object is intended to denote also one of a possibleplurality of such objects.

FIG. 1A shows a top perspective view of a golf tee 100 in accordancewith the present disclosure. FIG. 1B shows a side elevation view of thegolf tee 100 of FIG. 1A, FIG. 1C shows a top view of the golf tee 100 ofFIG. 1A, and FIG. 1D shows a bottom view of the golf tee 100 of FIG. 1A.Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D, the golf tee 100 may include a shaft 102having a top end 104 and a bottom end 106. The shaft 102 may be formedof any suitable material. In some embodiments, the shaft 102 may be athermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and may be formed during an injectionmolding process. The material forming the shaft 102 may be flexible suchthat the shaft 102 can flex when struck by a golf club, for example, andit may be resilient such that the shaft 102 recoils or springs back intoits unstressed shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed. Theshaft 102 may include one or more of the depicted indentations 108extending at least partially around the shaft 102. The indentations 108may facilitate the bending, stretching, and/or compressing of the shaft102.

A cup 110 may be located at the top end 104 of the shaft 102. The cupmay be formed integrally and with the same material as the shaft 102, oralternatively the cup 110 may be formed separately from the shaft 102and then attached to the top end 104 of the shaft 102 with a suitableattachment means (such as by screwing, with an adhesive, etc.). The cup110 may have a concave surface 112, as shown. The concave surface 112 ofthe cup 110 may face away from the shaft 102 and may be configured toface a surface of a ball (e.g., a golf ball, not shown in FIGS. 1A-1D)when the ball is placed on the golf tee 100. As described in more detailbelow, at least one protrusion 118 may be located in the cup 110 on theconcave surface 112.

FIG. 1E shows a cross-sectional view of the golf tee 100 of FIGS. 1A-1Das it may appear when supporting a golf ball 200. As shown in FIG. 1E,the rim 114 of the cup 110 may be configured (e.g., sized and shaped)such that when the ball is placed in contact with the golf tee 100, therim 114 contacts the ball 200. For example, when the ball 200 isspherical, the rim 114 may be circular, and may contact the ball 200 atlocations where the outer surface of the ball 200 intersects a plane,the plane being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 124 of the shaft102.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of (and potentially all of) theconcave surface 112 may be spaced apart from the ball 200 when the ball200 rests on the rim 114. In other words, when the ball 200 rests on therim 114, a space or gap 116 may be located between the concave surface112 and the surface of the ball. The space or gap 116 may beadvantageous for reducing friction between the tee 100 and the golf ball200 with respect to a traditional golf tee where a substantially largersurface area typically contacts the outer surface of the ball 200.Additionally or alternatively, as shown, at least one protrusion 118 mayextend from the concave surface 112 of the cup 110. The protrusion 118may be configured (e.g., sized and shaped) such that it contacts theball 200 when the ball 200 rests on the rim 114.

Any number of protrusions may be included. In an exemplary embodiment,the golf tee 100 may include eight (8) protrusions of equal length andarranged in a circular pattern (shown best in FIG. 1C) such that each ofthe protrusions 118 contacts the ball 200 when the ball 200 rests on therim 114 (as shown in FIG. 1E). More or less protrusions may be included(such as, for example, from about one (1) protrusion to about twenty(20) protrusions). It is also contemplated that the protrusions 118could be arranged in a pattern other than a circular pattern and/or atdifferent heights on the concave surface 112 (which may requiredifferent protrusions 118 to have different dimensions). The protrusionsmay have any suitable shape, and therefore may be hemispherical,cylindrical, rectangular, triangular, pyramid-shaped, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1C and FIG. 1E, the rim 114 may include a firstsupport surface 120 configured to contact a ball 200 when the golf tee100 supports the ball, and the protrusions 118 may define at least onesecond support surface 122 configured to contact the ball 200 when thegolf tee 100 supports the ball. The first support surface 120 may be afirst distance from a longitudinal axis 124 defined by the shaft 102,such as about 0.37 inches in one non-limiting embodiment. The secondsupport surface 122 may be located a second distance from thelongitudinal axis 124 defined by the shaft 102, and the second distancemay be less than the first distance. For example, in an exemplaryembodiment, the radius (or other distance from the axis 124) of thefirst support 120 surface may be about 0.75 inches, and the radius (orother distance from the axis 124) of the second support surface 122 maybe about 0.4 inches. In other words, the second support surface 122 maybe closer to the axis 124 than the first support surface 120.

In the depicted embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1E, the second support surface122 is formed by the protrusions 118, but it is also contemplated thatanother suitable structure may be formed on the concave surface 112 toform the second support surface 122. For example, an inner ring or rim(which may be a continuous ring or rim circling the axis 124) may beformed on the concave surface 112. Such an embodiment may beadvantageous for providing additional support to for a golf ball and/orfor simplicity during manufacturing. Similarly, it is contemplated thatthe first support surface 120 may be formed by a structure other than arim 114 (such as, for example, a plurality of outer protrusions).

Advantageously, the golf tee 100 may have a wider rim 114 thantraditional golf tees, which may provide enhanced support of a ball. Forexample, the rim 114 may have a diameter of at least 0.50 inches, atleast 0.60 inches, at least 0.70 inches, at least 0.80 inches, at least0.90 inches, or at least 1.00 inches (or greater). In one non-limitingexemplary embodiment, the diameter of the rim 114 may be about 0.74inches. Simultaneously, the weight of the ball may be distributed overseveral contact surfaces such that the static friction force is reducedat each specific contact point. Further, since the concave surface 112of the cup 110 is spaced from the ball, the total surface area ofcontact between the ball 200 and the golf tee 100 may be reduced whencompared to a traditional tee. The sum of these characteristics mayprovide reduced spin (i.e., sidespin, backspin, topspin) resulting inlonger, more controllable golf shots with fewer unintentional hooks andslices.

Referring back to FIG. 1A, the tee 100 may include a stake or stem 126extending from the bottom end 106 of the shaft 106. In one non-limitingembodiment, the stem 126 may have a length of about 1.25 inches, thoughother lengths are also contemplated. The stem 126 is preferablyconfigured to be pressed into the ground by a golfer, and may include asharpened tip 128 for the facilitation of entry into the ground. Thestem 126 may include a material that is different than a material of theshaft 102, and the stem 126 may be attached to the shaft 102 when theshaft 102 is molded, such as by injection over-molding (e.g., a portionof the pre-formed stem 126 may be inserted into a mold during theinjection molding process for forming the shaft 102). Other suitableattachment means may also be used (e.g., the use an adhesive).Alternatively, the shaft 102 and the stem 126 may be formed integrally,such as during a single molding process, for example.

The stem 126 may include an elongated body 130 and at least one optionalfin or column 132 extending radially outward from the elongated body130. The column 132 may be configured to engage the ground, and may beadvantageous for giving the stem 126 a relatively large surface area anda geometry suitable for providing a high degree of ground engagement andsupport. Any number of columns 132 may be included. For example, fourcolumns 132 may be included (as best shown in FIG. 1D), but stems withmore or less columns are also contemplated. The columns 132 may extendalong the entirety of the length of the stem 126, or only along aportion of the length. When compared to a stem without columns, the stem126 may be relatively secure when placed in the ground such that thestem 126 provides a relatively high resistance to movement and/orrotation of the stem 126 during a golf shot. To further enhance thedesirable characteristics of the columns 132, each column 132 mayinclude a notch 134 at its outer edge to provide additional surfacecontact and engagement between the column 132 and the ground.

In some embodiments, the cross-section of shaft 102 may vary along itslength. As shown in FIG. 1A, a central portion 140 of the shaft mayinclude a circular cross section, which may be advantageous forproviding suitable bendability and/or flexibility in all directions, forexample. The bottom end 106 of the shaft 102 may be shaped with adifferent cross-section (e.g., with a rectangular cross-section) toinclude at least one flat surface, such as the depicted flat surface136. The flat surface 136 may be parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe shaft 102, though this is not required. The flat surface 136 may beadvantageous for providing an area to place a logo 138 and/or anothermark for decorative purposes and/or to provide information to a golfer,such as information conveying the company marketing the golf tee 100,the type and/or size of the golf tee 100, etc. The logo or other markmay be stamped, pressed, printed, molded, or may a portion of anover-molded component that extends to the surface 136, such as anover-molded stem or stake. In one exemplary, non-limiting embodiment,the surface 136 may be rectangular with a width of approximately 0.60inches and a height of approximately 0.30 inches.

FIG. 2 shows four embodiments of a golf tee in accordance with thepresent disclosure, where each of the four embodiments has a differentshaft length. For example (and without limitation), the first golf tee300 may have a shaft length of about 2.25 inches, the second golf tee400 may have a shaft length about 1.75 inches, the third golf tee 500may have a shaft length of about 1.25 inches, and the fourth golf tee600 may have a shaft length of about 0.50 inches. Providing golf teeswith different shaft lengths may be advantageous to accommodate formultiple types of golf shots and/or for multiple swing types. The tees300, 400, 500, and 600 may each be designed with a shaft length suchthat a golf ball has a certain elevation during a golf shot. Forconsistent golf-ball elevation, bottom surfaces 342, 442, 542, and/or642 may be configured to be pressed against the ground to consistentlycontrol the depth of the respective stems, and consequently, the heightof the cup. Advantageously, a consistent ball elevation may be achievedquickly and in a consistent and precise manner by a golfer, and mayreduce or eliminate cleanup at the tee box.

Referring to FIG. 3, it is contemplated that a golf tee 700 may includeprotrusions 726 (or other elements forming a contact surface) that havedimensions such that the golf ball 200 does not contact a rim 714 of thegolf tee 700 at all. This may be advantageous for further reducing thesurface area of contact between the golf ball 200 and the tee 700 withrespect to other embodiments. The rim 714, though not in constantcontact with the ball 200, may be relatively close to the golf ball 200such that it may assist (e.g., briefly contact the ball) when placingthe golf ball 200 on the tee 300. Optionally, the golf tee 700 mayinclude a second protrusions 727 located further from the axis than theprotrusions 726. The second protrusions 727 may form a support surfacefor contacting the ball 200, and may be included in combination with anyof the embodiments and/or aspects described herein.

Specific embodiments of a golf tee have been described for the purposeof illustrating the manner in which the aspects of the presentdisclosure are used. It should be understood that the implementation ofother variations and modifications of the embodiments described hereinand their various aspects will be apparent to one skilled in the art,and that the invention is not limited by the specific embodimentsdescribed.

We claim:
 1. A golf tee, the golf tee comprising: a shaft having a topend and a bottom end; a cup located at the top end of the shaft, the cuphaving a concave surface, and the cup having a rim; and at least oneprotrusion extending from the concave surface of the cup, the protrusionhaving a surface configured to contact a ball when the golf tee supportsthe ball.
 2. The golf tee of claim 1, further comprising a stem locatedat the bottom end of the shaft, wherein the stem includes a materialthat is different than a material of the shaft.
 3. The golf tee of claim2, wherein the stem includes a central elongated shaft and at least onecolumn extending from the elongated shaft and configured to engage aground.
 4. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the at least one protrusionis configured such that a gap is located between a ball and rim when theball is supported by the at least one protrusion.
 5. The golf tee ofclaim 1, wherein the bottom end of the shaft includes a flat surface,the flat surface being parallel to an axis defined by the shaft.
 6. Thegolf tee of claim 5, wherein a central portion of the shaft has acircular cross-sectional shape with at least one indentation extendingaround the circular cross-section.
 7. The golf tee of claim 1, whereinat least a portion of the rim is located a first distance from an axisdefined by the shaft, wherein the at least one protrusion is located asecond distance from the axis defined by the shaft, and wherein thefirst distance is greater than the second distance.
 8. The golf tee ofclaim 1, wherein the concave surface is configured such that a gap islocated between the concave surface and the ball when the golf teesupports the ball.
 9. A golf tee, the golf tee comprising: a shafthaving a top end and a bottom end; a first support surface configured tocontact a ball when the golf tee supports the ball; and a second supportsurface configured to contact the ball when the golf tee supports theball, wherein the first support surface is located a first distance froman axis defined by the shaft, wherein the second support surface islocated a second distance from the axis defined by the shaft, andwherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.
 10. Thegolf tee of claim 9, wherein the first support surface is defined by arim of a cup located at the top end of the shaft, wherein the cup has aconcave surface facing away from the shaft.
 11. The golf tee of claim10, wherein the second support surface is defined by a protrusionextending from the concave surface of the cup.
 12. The golf tee of claim10, wherein a diameter of the rim is at least 0.50 inches.
 13. The golftee of claim 9, further comprising a stem located at the bottom end ofthe shaft, wherein the stem includes a material that is different than amaterial of the shaft.
 14. The golf tee of claim 13, wherein the stemincludes a central elongated shaft and at least one column extendingfrom the elongated shaft and configured to engage a ground.
 15. The golftee of claim 14, wherein an end of the at least one column includes aconcave notch.
 16. The golf tee of claim 9, wherein the bottom end ofthe shaft includes a flat surface, the flat surface being parallel to anaxis defined by the shaft.
 17. The golf tee of claim 16, wherein acentral portion of the shaft has a circular cross-sectional shape.
 18. Amethod for forming a golf tee, the method comprising: forming a shafthaving a top end and a bottom end; forming a cup located at the top endof the shaft, the cup having a concave surface, and the cup having a rimconfigured to contact a ball when the golf tee supports the ball; andforming at least one protrusion extending from the concave surface ofthe cup, the protrusion having a surface configured to contact the ballwhen the golf tee supports the ball.
 19. The method of claim 18, furthercomprising forming a stem and locating the stem at the bottom end of theshaft.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein locating the stem at thebottom end of the shaft includes inserting the stem in a mold before orduring an injection molding process, wherein the injection moldingprocess forms the shaft.